Gadhafi claims 'tactical' retreat from compound

Libyan leader Moammar Gadhaficlaimedin a radio address early Wednesday that he retreated from his Tripoli compound in a "tactical move," hours afterrebel fighterscelebrated and looted insidehis former residenceand military barracks.

Fighters first entered the compound after several hours of fighting on Tuesday.Hundreds of rebelsfired their weapons into the air and took anything in the facilitythey could grab, includingammunition and arms. They found new rifles still in their paper wrappings, The Associated Press reported.

Scuffles broke out, with peoplepushing and shoving to get inside two white buildings where the rifles, machine-guns and handguns were stored.

But fighting at the massive compound may not be over, as there were reports of Gadhafi loyalist snipers still firing at rebel forces. Tripoli's new rebel military chief, Abdel-Hakim Belhaj, said at nightfall that a small area of the compound was still under the control of regime fighters and heavy shooting was heard across Tripoli toward midnight.

Reuters, citing al-Arabiya TV, also said that Gadhafi forces were attacking the Libyan town of Ajelat, west of Tripoli.

Gadhafi himself spoke on local radio early Wednesday, vowing victory or death against "aggression." He also claimed that the retreat from his compound was a tactical move, Reuters reported. It is not known where he was speaking from.

According to a Reuters report, Gadhafialso called on Libyans to "sweep through Tripoli and comb it for traitors." The report said the comments were part of an audio recording aired on al-Rai TV.

"I have been out a bit in Tripoli discreetly, without being seen by people, and ... I did not feel that Tripoli was in danger," he said.

A spokesman for the rebel National Transitional Council said Tuesday that Gadhafi is either in or near Tripoli.

"We don't think that he has left the country. We believe he is still inside Libya. We believe that he is either in Tripoli or close to Tripoli," Guma el-Gamaty told BBC television. "Sooner or later, he will be found, either alive and arrested, and hopefully that is the best outcome we want, or if he resists, he will be killed."

Meanwhile, Gadhafi's former right-hand man, Abdel-Salam Jalloud, told Al-Jazeera television that he thought Gadhafi was moving around the outskirts of Tripoli, taking shelter at private homes, small hotels and mosques.

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the Russian head of the World Chess Federation, told the Interfax news agency that he had spoken to Moammar Gadhafi by telephone on Tuesday, and said that the Libyan leader is still in Tripoli and he remains defiant.

Ilyumzhinov has known Gadhafi for years, and appeared with him in Libya in July, during one of Gadhafi's last public appearances.

Rebels claim more gains

On Tuesday, hoursbefore the compound was first stormed, it was reported Libyan rebels took control of the oil port of Ras Lanuf as soldiers loyal to Gadhafiretreated to the west toward the leader's home town of Sirte.

"We have taken Ras Lanuf. They just ran until the RedValley," rebel spokesman Mohammad Zawawi told Reuters, adding the RedValley was in the direction of Sirte.

Zawawi said there was no damage to the oil facilities in RasLanuf.

A NATO spokesman said the situation in Libya remained dangerous, and that operations against Gadhafi's forces will continue if they keep fighting. Col. Roland Lavoie said the Libyan leader's forces have been weakened, and are losing strength due to defections and desertions.

"Our military mission has not changed. It remains to protect the civilian population, enforce the no-fly zone and the arms embargo," he said. "We will conduct strikes wherever necessary to protect the population of Libya."

CBC's Susan Ormiston, reporting from Djerba, Tunisia, said Gadhafi"is such a beacon, a standard, for his supporters, any thought that he may have fled or would surrender is not a reality, at least for the moment."

Rebels explain Gadhafi son reappearance

The situationin Tripolihad beenthrown into confusion early Tuesdaywhen Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, who had been reported captured by rebel forces a day earlier, suddenly appeared at a Tripoli hotel where foreign journalists are staying.

Fadi El Abdallah, a spokesman for the International Criminal Court in Amsterdam, said the ICC never received official confirmation that Seif al-Islam, who has been indicted with his father, had been arrested.

The rebels waited hours to explain, saying word of his capture had come from secondhand reports from some rebels that were never confirmed and had been leaked to journalists. But Mahmoud Jibril, head of the rebels' acting cabinet, said the reports had some political and military benefits.

"About 30 officers and soldiers surrendered when they heard the news, which helped us take over Bab al-Aziziya swiftly," he said. "And 11 countries recognized the [rebels'] National Transitional Council after receiving news of his arrest."

NATO tried to downplay the sudden appearance of Gadhafi's son.

"A brief appearance in the dead of night doesn't indicate somebody in control of the capital or anything at all," NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said in Brussels. "It shows that they are on the run [and] as we've seen in the Balkans recently, those on the run from international justice can do so for some time, but they can't hide."